14 Light Dinner Ideas Under 500 Calories

Favorites such as pizza pie and burgers can be relieve up for healthier meals that even picky eaters can savour .

Your light dinner approximation do n’t have to be limit to kale or bean curd or intellectual nourishment that derive to mind when you call up " goodish . " or else , you’re able to attend quick , sizeable repast that admit favorites such asbaked fishorquesadillas(lightened up with whole - grain tortillas , along with chickpeas and fume paprika in place of chorizo ) .

Yep , alimentary paste is on the board , along with easy - to - make family - favorable pizza pie . you could finish off your weak dinner withdessert , too — seasonal yield topped with protein - rich nuts , for instance , or a number of dark chocolate . Beverage choices can include a glass of port wine-colored or , for the nipper , lemony cherry tree succus .

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Credit: Carson Downing

Bonus : Johns Hopkins research shows that home - cooked meals advance people to eat healthier and take in few calories than those who do n’t get freshly ready meals at home .

supply whole grains — which can make you feel full , provide of import nutrients , and may trim the jeopardy of heart disease — through favorites such as bread , pasta , and Timothy Miles Bindon Rice .

Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

Get dinner party on the table tight — the full dinner idea is quick in just 20 minutes ! Then , alternatively of tortillas or other carb - based wrap , tuck the pick of this light dinner party theme inside fresh shekels leaf with your choice of toppings . ( We ’re fan of adding shredded carrots , shredded radishes , and light-green onion plant . ) Eat them handheld or with a knife and fork — either path , they ’re pleasant-tasting .

Shrimp Salad with Lime Dressing

If you liketacosand enchiladas , you ’ll be intimate this fresh , light dinner party mind . It wo n’t take much convincing for even your fussy eater to plunge fork - first into this gorgeous rainbow - colored salad since it smack similar to all of their Mexican faves . zip up preparation by mingle up the homemade salad dressing in progression . If you ’re feeling ambitious , describe up your fruit and veg in rows for the ultimate photo - ready meal .

Greek Chicken Skillet

This easyGreek recipelooks elegant and extravagant but is mere to whip up ( it only takes 40 minutes ) . The light dinner idea includes a lemony sauce and olives , Brussels sprouts , and feta Malva sylvestris .

Roasted Salmon and Farro Bowls

In the modality for fish and chips ? This beautifulbaked fishrecipe is a smart as a whip dinner swap ( and you have our complete permission to impart a side ofhomemade youngster ) . While it tastes complex , this wakeful dinner mind can be on the mesa in 45 minutes .

Egg and Soba Noodle Bowl

Skip those ho - hum microwave oven " diet " meals . This delectable veggie andnoodle bowlwill become your go - to healthy dinner . blank miso paste and soybean sauce give this gentle dinner a deep flavor . One - pipe bowl meal are a cinch to serve , making doing dish quick and simple .

Herbed Chicken Parm Sliders

Instead of heavy deep-fried chicken , we ’re making juicychicken burgersand topping them with marinara sauce , Malva sylvestris , and invigorated basil . Serve the homemade burgers on toasted ciabatta rolls for a prompt and yummy weeknight meal .

Eggplant-Parmesan Grandma Pizza

Brie Goldman

pizza pie gets a refreshing update when cover with eggplant and provolone cheese . It ’s filled with all the feeling you screw of the classicItalian dish . This easy , kid - friendly light dinner party idea is perfect for a press - packed weeknight eventide .

Lemon-Pepper Air-Fryer Shrimp and Veggies

Busy night ? supply shrimp , courgette , and cultivated carrot to the aviation frier for a tasty , easy , short dinner theme . Start with agreen salad , and you ’ll conform to all your nutrition and tang needs for a satisfying repast .

Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables

A few shortcut help get this dinner on the tabular array tight . Quick - cookery chicken titty tenders and bottled Italian salad fertilisation go a long way in making this a weeknight profits . Finish this idle dinner with plenty of newly chopped tomato .

Brisket and Potatoes with Tangy Mustard Sauce

Beef brisketmay not immediately come to mind as a light dinner idea , but this slow cooker formula changes that . A bright leaf mustard sauce tot tang to each insect bite . To round out out your home base , do the meat and potato over zucchini noodles .

Greek-Inspired Quinoa Salad with Feta and Lemon Dressing

This take on Greek salad is stretch with grain and flavor . Assemble the pure insect bite , and you ’ll have the flavors of olives , feta , quinoa , and impudent veggies in each mouthful . A few pocket bread chips on the side add just the correct amount of crush .

Delicious Marinated Shrimp Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

marinate the shrimp before adding it to the salad ensures each bite of this lightsome dinner idea is packed with flavor . Round out the phonograph record with fresh radish plant , avocado , cherry tomatoes , cucumber vine , and lettuce . Do n’t skimp on the fresh Anethum graveolens on top .

Air-Fryer Pork Chops with Brussels Sprouts

Cookingpork chopsin the line fryer ensures they get out crisp and gilt on the outside and juicy on the inside . A quick maple - mustard sauce ties all the flavors together and contrast nicely with the affluence of the pork .

Chicken Pad Thai

Andy Lyons

Skip the takeout and whip up homemade volaille pad Thai for dinner party tonight . As one reviewer raves , " I know this ! I doubled the sauce and interchange dried Thai chilies for the chilly sauce . " Finish this light dinner thought with crush peanuts and fresh lime juice .

“ Dessert by Design : The Three Pleasures . ” The Nutrition Source , Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health .

Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps